GAZA/JERUSALEM/PARIS - A senior Hamas official said on Friday the group is assessing new proposals from mediators aimed at reviving a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

Taher al-Nunu, a Hamas spokesperson, said US envoy Steve Witkoff's proposal remains under discussion, alongside new initiatives from mediators. He did not provide further details.

Al-Nunu reiterated Hamas' commitment to previously signed agreements, claiming Israel was responsible for blocking progress.

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Meanwhile, Hamas issued a statement rejecting comments by US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who defended Israel's right to self-defense.

"The statement blatantly distorts reality. Israel does not have the right to defend its occupation; rather, it is the aggressor," Hamas said.

Waltz had earlier said, "The ceasefire could have been extended if Hamas had released all remaining hostages," adding that "Israel has every right to defend its people against Hamas terrorists."

Hamas accused Waltz of misrepresenting facts, saying it had offered clear proposals for a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had rejected and undermined the efforts for political reasons.

Hamas called on US officials to stop blaming the group for disrupting agreements and instead hold Netanyahu responsible for prolonging the suffering of prisoners and their families.

Separately, Hamas' military wing, the Qassam Brigades, said on Friday it had fired a rocket at the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, calling it retaliation for Israeli attacks on civilians.

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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its air force intercepted two rockets launched from Gaza toward Ashkelon.

Israel resumed strikes in Gaza on Tuesday after a ceasefire with Hamas that began on Jan 19 unraveled. Israeli forces subsequently launched ground operations across southern, northern, and central Gaza.

Gaza's Civil Defense said at least 11 people were killed in Friday's airstrikes, with the overall death toll from the renewed strikes potentially exceeding 600, in addition to more than 1,000 wounded.

The IDF and the Israel Security Agency said on Friday that an intelligence-led strike on Thursday had eliminated Osama Tabash, head of Hamas' military intelligence in southern Gaza.

The joint statement said Tabash was also in charge of Hamas' surveillance and targeting unit. There was no immediate response from Hamas on the claim.

Since the resumption of airstrikes, Israel has killed several senior Hamas officials, including Issam al-Daalis, a member of Hamas' political bureau and head of the Government Follow-up Committee in Gaza.

Also on Friday, the Israeli military said that its fighter jets struck a rocket launcher in northern Gaza, hours after two rockets were fired toward Israeli territory.

According to the IDF, the launcher had been deliberately placed by Hamas near a humanitarian area in Al-Furqan, northern Gaza.

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The IDF said measures were taken to minimize civilian casualties before the strike, including aerial surveillance, intelligence gathering, and the use of precision-guided munitions.

"This is further evidence of Hamas' systematic exploitation of civilians and civilian infrastructure for terrorist activities throughout the Gaza Strip," the military said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Britain on Friday jointly called for an immediate return to a ceasefire in Gaza.

"The resumption of Israeli strikes in Gaza marks a dramatic step backward for the people of Gaza, the hostages, their families and the entire region," the ministers said in a joint statement released late Friday evening, calling on "all parties to re-engage with negotiations to ensure the ceasefire is implemented in full and becomes permanent."

Urging Israel to fully respect international law and allow the flow of aid into Gaza immediately, the ministers said: "Civilians should be protected and not be cut off from essential aid or assistance."

READ MORE: European countries slam deadly Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, call for ceasefire

They also called on Israel to restore humanitarian access and ensure access to medical care and temporary medical evacuations under international humanitarian law.

Families of 42 freed hostages and more than 250 relatives of those still held in Gaza issued a letter on Friday demanding an immediate ceasefire and a return to negotiations, accusing officials of sacrificing captives to prolong the conflict.

The letter, signed by freed hostages and families of the 59 remaining captives, called for a comprehensive deal that would secure their release in exchange for ending the fighting and establishing a post-war plan for Gaza.

Netanyahu's office has repeatedly maintained that military pressure is key to securing hostage returns, a position the families dismissed as "reckless" in the letter.